Substances are unique in that they are independent. The other nine categories are “accidental.” These nine categories each depend on substances and can’t exist on their own, e.g. redness, double, smallness, etc.

1. Substance (ousia, “essence” or “substance”). Substance is defined as that which neither can be predicated of anything nor be said to be in anything. Hence, this particular man or that particular tree are substances. Later in the text, Aristotle calls these particulars “primary substances”, to distinguish them from secondary substances, which are universals and can be predicated. Hence, Socrates is a primary substance, while man is a secondary substance. Man is predicated of Socrates, and therefore all that is predicated of man is predicated of Socrates.
2. Quantity (poson, “how much”). This is the extension of an object, and may be either discrete or continuous. Further, its parts may or may not have relative positions to each other. All medieval discussions about the nature of the continuum, of the infinite and the infinitely divisible, are a long footnote to this text. It is of great importance in the development of mathematical ideas in the medieval and late Scholastic period.
3. Quality (poion, “of what kind or quality”). This is a determination which characterizes the nature of an object.
4. Relation (pros ti, “toward something”). This is the way in which one object may be related to another.
5. Place (pou, “where”). Position in relation to the surrounding environment.
6. Time (pote, “when”). Position in relation to the course of events.
7. Position (keisthai, “to lie”). The examples Aristotle gives indicate that he meant a condition of rest resulting from an action: ‘Lying’, ‘sitting’. Thus position may be taken as the end point for the corresponding action. The term is, however, frequently taken to mean the relative position of the parts of an object (usually a living object), given that the position of the parts is inseparable from the state of rest implied.
8. State or habitus (echein, “to have”). The examples Aristotle gives indicate that he meant a condition of rest resulting from an affection (i.e. being acted on): ‘shod’, ‘armed’. The term is, however, frequently taken to mean the determination arising from the physical accoutrements of an object: one’s shoes, one’s arms, etc. Traditionally, this category is also called a habitus (from Latin habere, “to have”).
9. Action (poiein, “to make” or “to do”). The production of change in some other object.
10. Affection (paschein, “to suffer” or “to undergo”). The reception of change from some other object. It is also known as passivity. It is clear from the examples Aristotle gave for action and for affection that action is to affection as the active voice is to the passive. Thus for action he gave the example, ‘to lance’, ‘to cauterize’; for affection, ‘to be lanced’, ‘to be cauterized.’ The term is frequently misinterpreted to mean a kind of emotion or passion.

Thanks for this breakdown; I am currently studying Aristotle’s theories in class and your article shed some light on many of the questions I held. Thanks for the great resource.

MAXIMILLIA MUNINZWA

Posted June 19, 2013 at 7:30 PM

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MAXIMILLIA MUNINZWA

Posted June 19, 2013 at 7:32 PM

The 10 Categories of Being

Krshwunk

Posted September 22, 2013 at 7:52 PM

Are “properties” (vis. of the Predicables) part of the nine accidental categories? Because usually accidents are distinguished from properties. So I’m very confused.

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Welcome to the Philosophy of Being

Aristotle called the philosophy of being "first philosophy" because it does not examine the parts of reality (politics, math, music, history), but reality itself: existence, change, properties, space, time, causality, and possibility. This first philosophy is also called "metaphysics," deriving from the Greek words meta ("beyond") and physica ("physical").

I designed this site for students studying philosophy at the College of Saint Thomas More. Whether or not you are taking courses, I hope that you find the articles, outlines, and essays helpful.

Metaphysically,
Dr. Taylor Marshall
Professor of Philosophy
College of Saint Thomas More